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Any small shops out there with guys doing both resi hvac and some refrigeration? How does it work for you? GA is interested to learn the business side... I am working with a few guys to learn the tech side.

My old boss does both .... and his phone is ringing off the hook all year long. Dude is never home. Sleeps in motels often.... but has money out the wazoooo

I am thinking to do this... start out on a small scale. My area is an AC market... meaning when the AC dies most folks replace the entire system. Problem is... the 'busy season' only lasts around 5 mos... I have been doing home repair and small remodeling projects (used to do this before HVAC)... however this is both more physical and less $$$.

Doing refrigeration (small walk in coolers and freezers, reach in's and ice machines) seems like a way to stay in the service call business with larger income for a less heavy physical work. Any small shops out there with guys doing both resi hvac and some refrigeration? How does it work for you? GA is interested to learn the business side... I am working with a few guys to learn the tech side.

THX in advance for any posts!

Originally Posted by Snapperhead

My old boss does both .... and his phone is ringing off the hook all year long. Dude is never home. Sleeps in motels often.... but has money out the wazoooo

Not sure if I want that much business.... just something in the trade to cover the slow season.

I will start a thread in the Pro's Pub about this... so we can discuss it freely.

i have done walk ins and ice machines but since ive stared working for myself i dont think i want to have the worry that goes along with it,like dealing with restaraunt managers or grocery store or convenient stores.

Originally Posted by ga-hvac-tech

Not sure if I want that much business.... just something in the trade to cover the slow season.

I will start a thread in the Pro's Pub about this... so we can discuss it freely.

I read pdfs on the various chillers and package units I service. Clean the van and check problem units from the summer. We have a large amount of pm agreements though so I usually only get to do that when its raining or I need a break.

not sure if i understand this pro pub thing? you cant speak freely here? whats up with that?

The Pro's Pub is a forum in the Pro section... H-talk is a professional site that allows non-professionals to access a few forums... the majority of information is behind the PRO door. The forum has policies about what should be posted at which forums, and we all have to follow the rules or loose our posting access. Get your post count up and apply for PRO status. What you see in the public section is a small amount of what is at H-talk.

thats cool i guess ,but we were only talking about gettin thru the winter,this winter for me will be like 31 winters ive been thru as a service tech and have survived some lean ones,sometimes its like feast or famine.

Originally Posted by ga-hvac-tech

The Pro's Pub is a forum in the Pro section... H-talk is a professional site that allows non-professionals to access a few forums... the majority of information is behind the PRO door. The forum has policies about what should be posted at which forums, and we all have to follow the rules or loose our posting access. Get your post count up and apply for PRO status. What you see in the public section is a small amount of what is at H-talk.

Doing refrigeration (small walk in coolers and freezers, reach in's and ice machines) seems like a way to stay in the service call business with larger income for a less heavy physical work.
Any small shops out there with guys doing both resi hvac and some refrigeration? How does it work for you?

Like you, I started out doing all resi HVAC. Then I fixed a prep table at a sandwich shop. The owner told me that his friend also had a cooler with a problem and wanted me to fix it. expecting another sandwich shop, I agreed

Went to the address and the sign said Supermarket. Met the owner and she said "heres the cooler (about 300 square feet) and I'll show you the compressor room"

in my mind I was thinking "a room? for compressors? an entire room? what have I gotten into?"

She opened the door and I just saw rows and rows of compressors bigger than anything I had ever seen before and lots of funny looking valves and piping. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I got to work, located a leak in the rooftop condenser and fixed it, and recharged the system. The whole time I'm thinking about the hundreds of pounds of meat in that cooler thats going to go bad if my fix doesn't work. We'll, it worked and they've been customers since, so I must have done a good job.

after that, I was hooked.

refrigeration is definitely higher pressure than HVAC. On big stuff there could be thousands of dollars of food at risk. On small stuff it might be the only freezer or ice machine the establishment has and they can't conduct business without it. Figuring out a way to make something work even when you don't have the right parts is a necessity

theres alot of money to be made in refrigeration no doupt,but you better know what your doing also,like you said all that product is on you.A big mistake alot of people make when they see a compressor room or anything un faamilliar is they forget to keep it simple,All were really doing is using a t-stat turning on a compressor and a couple of fans,look for the obvious easy things first. its not always gonna be "low on gas".The best way to futher your skills is to be thrown into a situation like your compressor room as long as your solid on your electrical skills and remember the "kiss" rule you will get thru it. If i can get a couple of good service calls a week and a changout every now and then you all can have the rest. no overhead,no employees,pay cash at the supply house,keep it simple=a good living with no pressure.

Originally Posted by craig1

Like you, I started out doing all resi HVAC. Then I fixed a prep table at a sandwich shop. The owner told me that his friend also had a cooler with a problem and wanted me to fix it. expecting another sandwich shop, I agreed

Went to the address and the sign said Supermarket. Met the owner and she said "heres the cooler (about 300 square feet) and I'll show you the compressor room"

in my mind I was thinking "a room? for compressors? an entire room? what have I gotten into?"

She opened the door and I just saw rows and rows of compressors bigger than anything I had ever seen before and lots of funny looking valves and piping. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I got to work, located a leak in the rooftop condenser and fixed it, and recharged the system. The whole time I'm thinking about the hundreds of pounds of meat in that cooler thats going to go bad if my fix doesn't work. We'll, it worked and they've been customers since, so I must have done a good job.

after that, I was hooked.

refrigeration is definitely higher pressure than HVAC. On big stuff there could be thousands of dollars of food at risk. On small stuff it might be the only freezer or ice machine the establishment has and they can't conduct business without it. Figuring out a way to make something work even when you don't have the right parts is a necessity

In 2001 I got away from A/C and refrigeration after 26 years, A/C sucks and hours can get crazy with refrigeration. I moved into the MR field in 2001, and recently started serving the liquid to liquid systems. Its a great niche market with no shortage of opportunity to make money.

new

Originally Posted by bmwruss

All this talk is my biggest fear. I'm in HVAC school now and will be seeking my first HVAC job come spring. I'm in Florida and things get real busy starting in spring and start slowing down around this time of the year. I need the hands on experience, yet, I also know I'll be the first to go next fall.

This is what most of it is about, we (you) will get slow, you may not get your 40, try to be creative and do other stuff.